A recent study by Reinhard Schweitzer (TransDeM-UAB) and Andreas Streiter analyses how social workers in the UK have become key players in implementing migration control policies. The authors identify the governmental mechanisms that have turned social work into a tool of exclusion, highlighting the impact of funding, the association between poverty and irregularity, and the promotion of ‘voluntary return’ in the production of a ‘hostile environment’ for irregular migrants. In this post, we delve into the main findings of their study.
The article begins with the observation that many British social workers align with restrictive immigration policies rather than focusing solely on protection and social assistance. The central question is: how has the UK government managed to internalise immigration control within public social assistance? To answer this, the authors use a theoretical framework based on Foucault’s differentiation between three forms of power: law, discipline, and security. The interplay between these forms explains the identity transformation of social workers into agents of control.
Based on interviews with bureaucrats, social workers, and NGO representatives in London, the researchers identified three key governmental strategies in contributing to this phenomenon. First, the UK government has shifted the financial burden of supporting migrants onto local authorities, thereby pushing them to restrict assistance. Then, it established a link between economic deprivation and an irregular immigration status, justifying the denial of support. Finally, it has changed the framing of deportation from forced removal to ‘voluntary return’, pushing migrants to accept leaving the country.
The study demonstrates how these developments resolve ethical contradictions for social workers, making them more likely to enforce exclusionary policies. By integrating immigration control into welfare institutions, the UK government has facilitated the transformation of social workers into border enforcers, often without explicit coercion. The pressures of budget constraints and legal frameworks create an environment where professionals internalise these roles as part of their duties.
This research contributes to understanding the ‘bordering’ of social services within liberal-democratic states, also raising critical questions about the ethical dilemmas faced by social workers and the broader implications for social justice and human rights.
Reference:
Schweitzer, R., & Streiter, A. (2025). The Social Worker as Border Guard: How and Why British Welfare Workers Are Disposed to Control Immigration. International Migration Review, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183251314830
This paper is available in open access.